Eli Obaje
The Delta State government has explained why Senator Ned Nwoko lost his bid for the All Progressives Congress senatorial ticket for Delta North ahead of the 2027 general election, responding to grumbling from the lawmaker’s camp over the weekend’s primary results.
Speaking with http://Yans.ng’s senior editor, the government attributed the defeat to Nwoko’s lack of grassroots following. Officials argued that his 2023 entry into the Senate was only possible because of support from the party structure at the time, which they described as getting in “on scholarship.” 
State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, defended the conduct of the primary. He said Nwoko’s loss came down to weak grassroots engagement and the absence of a solid political structure within the APC in Delta North.
Aniagwu dismissed claims of manipulation, insisting the process followed party guidelines and reflected the will of registered APC members across the district. He said the outcome was transparent and consistent with how party members choose candidates.
According to the figures he provided, immediate past Governor Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa secured 113,309 votes across the nine local government areas in Delta North. Nwoko, in contrast, polled 2,612 votes, a result Aniagwu described as a dismal outing.
The commissioner explained that internal party elections differ from general elections because members tend to vote based on loyalty, personal relationships, and grassroots connections. “This election was won and lost based on party dynamics and grassroots relationships,” he said.
Aniagwu alleged that Nwoko failed to engage key stakeholders before the exercise. He claimed the senator did not interface with party leaders, ward executives, state legislators, commissioners, local government chairmen, and other APC figures across Delta North.
“We have 98 wards in Delta North and he never reached out to leaders across those wards. He never informed people that he intended to contest,” Aniagwu alleged. He added that Nwoko also lacked structures even within his immediate political environment, which contributed to the scale of the defeat.
To back the credibility of the process, Aniagwu said party officials supervised the primary using the Option A4 system, with members openly queuing behind their preferred candidates. He rejected claims that results were manipulated or moved out of the state, and provided membership figures showing Delta Central with 168,860 members, Delta North with 159,218, and Delta South with 128,144.
